The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup will start on Saturday in Australia and New Zealand, with 14 squads qualifying for the finals. Over the next month and a half, fans will be treated to the biggest names in the game taking each other head-on, and the odds of a major upset are never far away. Here’s a look at both groups, along with my predictions on who will make the quarterfinals.

Pool A

This pool includes both co-hosts, along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, Scotland, & Sri Lanka. Australia will be under massive pressure to win, partially because they’re playing on home territory, and partially because they are the top-ranked team in the ODI standings, and their success will likely depend on whether captain Michael Clarke, who’s been battling injury, can perform on the big stage. England have undergone significant changes, notably naming Eoin Morgan as captain, and the two rivals will face each other in their first group match in Melbourne (An announcement on Thursday revealed Clarke won’t be playing in this match). Sri Lanka have finished as runners-up in the last two World Cups; with this being a swan song for two of their greatest modern players (Mahela Jayawardene & Kumar Sangakkara), will the country experience a second triumph? New Zealand shocked many by making the 2011 semifinals, yet as co-host will be favored to progress to the knockout rounds. Bangladesh and Scotland have experience in this competition, and could possibly spring an upset or two, while Afghanistan’s makes its debut appearance.

Picks to advance to quarterfinals: Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, England

Pool B

Defending champion India headlines the second group of teams, but while a couple veterans remain, their 2015 squad is vastly different from the one that lifted the Cup four years ago. Also in Pool B are former winners Pakistan and West Indies, along with Ireland, South Africa, UAE, and Zimbabwe. South Africa have long been considered underachievers in this tournament’s history; do they finally put that reputation to rest this year? Ireland made noise in 2011 when they upset England in group play, meaning they’re looking to go one step further and make the quarterfinals; Zimbabwe and the UAE may also be dark horses to watch out for. The West Indies’ (comprised of Caribbean nations) squad selection came under scrutiny earlier this year, after top players Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo were both left off the roster. In one sense, they are like India in omitting longtime veterans, but will that decision come back to haunt them? Like England-Australia on February 14, one of the key matches in Pool B will come early, when India face archrivals Pakistan the following day in Adelaide. The result could go a long way in determining how both teams fare in February and March.

Picks to advance to quarterfinals: South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies

All matches will be streamed live in the United States through WatchESPN, and “The Worldwide Leader” will be airing “The Little Master” on February 15, a program on Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the greatest batsman in history, and how he carried the weight of expectation almost single-handedly for India for decades, culminating in the 2011 victory. Get ready for plenty of drama and stories to unfold Down Under, from now until the Final in Melbourne on March 29.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015, was the day high school athletes around the country signed letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level. Southern West Virginia had many students officially committing to colleges, with most electing to stay in the region. I had the chance to cover both sides of this important time in the sports calendar, getting perspectives from both the athletes and from college coaches. While football is the one sport that drew most of the media’s attention, I was also interviewing several women’s soccer players who will be continuing their careers. It made for an exciting 12-13 hours.

Until this year, my most recent experience in covering National Signing Day had been two years ago, with WOUB at Ohio University. I was getting ready to do a live shot from Peden Stadium on the incoming class of Ohio football players. The main reason for being live was to have an interview on-air with Bobcats head coach Frank Solich. However, Solich’s news conference went long, and was still going on when it came time for the anchor back in the studio to bring me in. I had prepared a mini-script on what to say in the event that this happened, but it’s safe to say that was not my finest moment as a sportscaster.

In 2015, there were absolutely no issues with covering athletes or coaches. One football player I spoke with is headed to Richmond, which made the FCS playoffs this past season. The two women’s soccer athletes are staying nearby; one will play at Concord (Athens, WV), while one is going to Liberty (Lynchburg, VA), where her father is an alum. Speaking of Concord, the Mountain Lions football staff was excited about its 2015 recruiting class, as they get set for the upcoming season, one year after making the Division II semifinals. Everybody I’ve met with has been very nice, a neat reminder of why I wanted to get into this industry in the first place. It didn’t hurt that I finished Wednesday covering an exciting high school basketball game, too.

It signaled the end of my first week at WOAY, and it’s been busy, but at the same time, a blast. Some of the stories I’ve covered over the last few days: the Big Atlantic Classic (a popular high school basketball tournament), the Super Bowl, National Signing Day, and NCAA Division II basketball. I look forward to reporting on many more events here in Southern West Virginia.

With Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Cambridge United at Old Trafford, Manchester United have progressed to the 5th round of the FA Cup – the round of 16. That they needed a replay to defeat the lowest-ranked team left at this stage probably prompted some to believe that this team still needs time to develop under Louis van Gaal. After the underdogs hit the post inside the first minute, how many fans were thinking this might turn out to be worse than the disaster against Milton Keynes Dons?

Now, with Cambridge behind them, the Red Devils find themselves having advanced further in this season’s Cup than the current top two in the Premier League. In recent years, United have developed a mini-trend in terms of performance…

2014: Third round (when all EPL & Championship clubs enter the competition)
2013: Quarterfinals (lost in replay)
2012: Fourth round
2011: Semifinals
2010: Third round
2009: Semifinals

Should that pattern continue, the Red Devils would be poised for a big run in 2015, perhaps even their first Cup triumph in 11 years. Up next, though, is a trip to Preston North End. All of the draws so far have pitted United on the road against a team outside the Premier League and the Championship. Preston North End’s significance is not lost on United fans; David Beckham gained valuable first-team experience at the club. With less than two weeks before the encounter, van Gaal’s duty will be to keep the players in shape, while also being mindful of the coming Premier League fixtures. United still have games this season at Liverpool and at Chelsea, and others that will go a long way in determining where the club finishes in the table.

The lack of European competition this campaign means there’s a little more rest than most veterans have been used to, but this will test the mettle of everyone on the squad, coaches included. Can United get results in the final four months of the season?

This weekend was reserved for the fourth round matches of the 2014-15 FA Cup. At this stage, 32 teams still had hopes of winning the oldest soccer competition in the world. But the magic of this tournament is in its one-game format, where clubs from a lower tier have a chance to become giant-killers and leave a legacy. Saturday brought multiple scenarios of that kind.

The top two teams in the Premier League, Chelsea and Manchester City, had each progressed to the fourth round, and since both were drawn to play non-Premier League sides at home, they were considered heavy favorites to progress to the last 16.

Chelsea hosted League One Bradford City at Stamford Bridge, and got off to a quick 2-0 lead, but the Bantams rallied to put four past Petr Cech and stun the Premier League leaders 4-2. With the visitors in the third tier of the English system, this result certainly joins the list of the most shocking FA Cup upsets…

Defending EPL champions City didn’t fare much better at home against Middlesbrough, who are one tier below the top flight in the Championship. City created more chances in the first half, but the saying stayed true: the more an underdog keeps the favorite scoreless, the more confident they are of pulling the upset, which Boro did 2-0.

Those weren’t the only top flight clubs to struggle against non-EPL sides. Manchester United were on the back foot for much of their match at Cambridge United (the lowest-ranked team remaining in the Cup), and will host a replay at Old Trafford. Liverpool will travel to Bolton for a replay of their own after failing to beat the Wanderers at Anfield; the same goes for Sunderland, who will visit Championship side Fulham. Another Premier League team’s Cup dream is over after Swansea lost at Blackburn. One more match remains Monday, when Rochdale (League One) hosts Stoke, the runner-up in 2011.

Some may argue that the FA Cup’s popularity has gone down a little in the last few years, but more results like this in later rounds could put an end to that. It’s been a generation since a team outside the top flight won the Cup (West Ham United, 1980); are this weekend’s results a sign of that drought coming to an end?

The FA Cup Final is on May 30 at Wembley Stadium in London.

Thursday marks the official start of NHL All-Star weekend in Columbus, with many hockey fans expected to visit Central Ohio. With the Blue Jackets still being one of the newer franchises in the league, this is a prime chance for the region to show its commitment to hosting big events.

Columbus is steadily becoming a popular location for major events. In November, the NCAA announced the city will host the 2018 Women’s Final Four; it has already hosted men’s tournament games and will do so again in March. The Arnold Sports Festival has been a popular staple every February and March, bringing in fitness experts  from around the world. The city isn’t just known for sports, however; Ohio’s capital is a finalist to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention. With Cleveland already chosen for the Republican Convention, Ohio’s status as a key political state will only grow even more.

For those headed to the festivities, there are activities planned for all ages. The outdoor ice-skating rink has already been open for several days, and the snow slide located right next to Nationwide Arena will be a big hit. The Fan Fair officially opens Friday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, and will have interactive attractions, meet-and-greets with both active players and legends, and of course, a photo opportunity with the Stanley Cup.

As for the actual All-Star Game on Sunday, expect it to be a celebration of hockey, and the region’s history in sports. Although Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky will not play after picking up an injury on Wednesday, fans will still be excited to see Nick Foligno and Ryan Johansen among the other stars of the league.

Columbus has had to wait for this weekend for several years; they were originally scheduled to host in 2013, but the game was cancelled following the lockout. There was no All-Star Game in 2014 because of the Winter Olympics.

Now that Central Ohio has its chance to shine by hosting the stars of a “Big 4” league, expect them to pull out all the stops as hockey takes center stage in the Buckeye State.

The first tennis major of the year starts Monday, when the Australian Open commences in Melbourne. Most of the sport’s big stars will be competing over the next two weeks, but will one of them take home a title, or will an up-and-comer upset the field? Here’s a preview on the two singles tournaments.

Men’s Singles

The current “Big Four” in the men’s game (Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, & Andy Murray) are all in Australia, along with defending champion Stan Wawrinka. Federer, largely regarded as the greatest men’s player of all time, has made four straight semifinals in Melbourne, but can he win another major at 33? Lleyton Hewitt is of the same age, but has not won a major on home soil; his best finish was 10 years ago, losing to Marat Safin in the final. If the Adelaide native can beat Ze Zhang, his next opponent would either be Benjamin Becker or #25 seed Julian Benneteau, with Milos Raonic potentially waiting in the third round. Home fans will also be supporting Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic, the top two Australians in the latest ATP rankings. Wawrinka was regarded as a surprise winner last January; will fans witness another in two weeks?

Women’s Singles

Serena Williams last won the Australian Open in 2010, and could face a tricky second-round clash with Vera Zvonareva, once the #2 player in the world. A few more familiar foes were drawn in the same quarter, notably Sloane Stephens & Victoria Azarenka, who play each other in the first round. As the second seed, Maria Sharapova finds herself at the other end of the bracket, with Eugenie Bouchard, a semifinalist in 2014, potentially waiting in the quarterfinals. Li Na, the defending champion and first Grand Slam singles winner from Asia, retired last fall, but Dominika Cibulkova, the runner-up, is in Serena’s quarter, and is looking for her first major championship. The top Australian in the WTA rankings, Samantha Stosur, opens play against Monica Niculescu, but could face Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone in the following round. Also, can Caroline Wozniacki finally get that elusive first Grand Slam?

Expect a lot of traffic around Melbourne Park, with the MCG, one of the venues for next month’s Cricket World Cup, located a short walk away. The next two weeks should say a lot about how the 2015 tennis season will unfold, but all indications say it will be a fun one.